Resilient wheel.



/NVENTR To all whom t mayconcern,"

Be it known that I, Josnrr A. HoniGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient llieels,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to resilient Wheels and tires for automobiles andother vehicles, and one of its objects is to provide a constructionwherein the pneumatic tube is inclosed and guarded or protected againstinjury, and at the same time affords adequate elasticity andflexibility.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inner tube which isadapted to contract and expand, bellows-fashion, and to be reinforcedagainst undue distention and liability of injury.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a constructionwherein the inclosing casing for the tire is formed by telescopicchanneled rim and tread sections, and wherein provision is made forpreventing the tire from creeping or shifting therein.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, showing one form of construction.Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 9-9 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section, showing a modified form of construction. Fig. 4 isa transverse section on line 11-11 of Fig. 3.

In carrying my invention into practice, I provide a resilient wheelcomprising an inner rim section 4 suitably fixed to the spokes and anouter rim section 5. Each of these rim sections is of channeled form,the side flanges of said sections being arranged to overlap so as tohave a yielding telescopic action in the travel of the wheel overpavements, roads and other surfaces.

Preferably each rim section 1 and 5 is in the form of a two-partstructure, having a fixed flange 6 at one side and a removable flange 7at the opposite side, which removable flange may be threaded orotherwise detachably connected with the body of the rim section. The rimas thus constructed provides a yielding or telescopic casing for aninclosed pneumatic tube, tire or cushion Jo'snr'n Fir. Roaman, or"lKansas Grrr, friss'ouitr. f* .f

Specification of Letters Patent.

" "BEs'ILIENT WHEEL.

4reizen?- a sept. 19,1916.

' 8, the flanges 7 l'being made detachable for the readyand convenientinsertion and removal of said tube. Preferably, as shown, the flanges 6and 7 of the outer rim section 5 overlap the corresponding flanges ofthe fixed rim section 4, but the reverse may be the case under someconditions of service.

In the preferred form of my invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the tube 31cornpri'ses bags, cells or sack-like sections 32 of suitable form inlongitudinal section united at their ends and having interven ing webs,partitions or diaphragms 33 provided with contracted air passages 34.The angular ends of these cells or sections, which are yieldingly linkedtogether, form accordion plaited or bellows-like walls to permitcontraction and expansion of said cells or sections.

In the modified form of my invention shown in Figs. 3' and 4 the tube 35com faces of these cells, together with their connecting nipples, formaccordion plaited or bellows-like walls which are adapted to permitcontraction and expansion of said cells.

The pneumatic tube, tire or cushion 31 or 35 is in the form of a ring orannulus'occupying the chamber or channel formed by the rim sections, andmay be' filled with air whenever required through a suitable nipple orfilling inlet 9. By this means, when any portion of the outer or treadrim section 5 comes in contact with the ground and sustains the weightof the load, the relative inward movement of such portion of the treadrim section will cause the air tube to collapse, the tube expanding assoon as the pressure is released therefrom, whereby the cushioningaction similar t: that afforded by the ordinary pneumatic tire issecured. It will be apparent that this tube is inclosed or housed in arim casing, which may be made of metal or other suitable hard and lcells. i

2. In a tire, a pneumaticV tube having bellows-like side walls forming aseries of.

cells in the tube, communication between adjacent cell`s beingestablished by passages ormedin the walls thereof, the cells being 10spaced by single walls with thej end walls of the end cells of the tubeadapted to abut each other, and a shoe having the said tubey inclosedtherein.

Intestimony whereof I affix my signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH A. HORIGAN.

Witnesses: 1

Bess M. LEWIS, H. M. PI'NKERTON.

